ss 1,2

prout.econ

Economic Planning Boards

March 26, 1995

Q: Will economic planning bodies be appointed or elected? Will they have constitutional authority to enact their plans?

In the development of a Proutist economy, there is consideration for the rights of the people. The little person is not squashed by higher authorities. That is why, in the collective, all of the participants will have votes; they will have that right. Those who are most affected, they will have the right to express their opinion and vote on how their collective, how their group, is run.

Now the same may be said for those who plan the economic development of a particular region. They should not be elected in free elections because they must be qualified persons. But they should be drawn from all of the different economic interests, and their appointment should be made by their local group. For example, in the economic planning committee, there should be an agricultural representative, and that representative should be appointed by the agricultural collective.

There should be, from each major discipline, an economic representative to the general planning board. But these are appointed. They are appointed by the local group which has had elected input into their own cooperatives. Now, each of these representatives may come from a system of local cooperatives. There may be in a particular area many blocks, and in each block is one local agricultural group, let us say, of the local people. The local people will elect their leader. All of those blocks will then form the agricultural collective. The block leaders will be elected. They will come together, and they will appoint the representative to the central planning board. So there will be appointments, but those appointments will not be disconnected from the people who are served. Now, there will also be government regulation as to criteria for appointment and as to other basic factors, so that there will be a proper format followed.

[Transcriber's note: the above paragraph had some problematic sentences which I had to fix. If you have any question about it, please ask another question to clarify.]

Now, these planners will be very significant. In a Proutistic economy, this board will indeed have some authority to enact the plans and programs which they establish. But that authority will be limited, as the primary development comes from the local people. The larger structure is developed by the planners, but it must be approved by the vote of local blocks. For example, if a plan is developed, it will be brought back by the representatives of the different groups. They will give it to their people, to their respective following, and then those people will bring it to their local blocks, and they will vote on the issue. Then the decisions of each block will be given and will be again brought to the central collective, and then that again will be brought back to the central committee with the appointed representative.

So the approval will be by the people. It will be by the consensus of the people or the majority of the people. If the people reject the plan, then it must be modified and alternatives recommended. Alternatives will be brought back with the representatives and then discussed, and then the overall plan will be either accepted or rejected.

Once it is accepted, then there will indeed be constitutional authority to implement the plans. But this process of bringing it to the people so that the people may give their respective input and then recommendations will be closely adhered to. And this will be done through the specific cooperatives and disciplines. In this way, there will be fairness to all, and yet there will be authority for implementation of the central plan.